The Varsity Blues women’s field hockey team will be losing a Canadian Intercollegiate Sports (CIS) all-Canadian this year, as netminder Katy-Jo Williams has wrapped up her final semester at U of T. Williams has spent the last five years playing on the squad, contributing to the great success of the team, with one CIS title, one second-place finish in the CIS, and two Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships.
Williams, a long-time ice hockey player, got a late start in field hockey — having learned the game in high school. Her success got her noticed by the Blues coaching staff, who recruited Williams. The team’s great reputation, as well as Williams’ familiarity with some of the players, made U of T an obvious post-secondary choice.
“My high school was actually huge for field hockey, and a lot of the girls actually came to U of T, and then they kind of pulled me into U of T as well”.
However, Williams’s start on the team did not go as she expected: “In my last year of high school… I dislocated my shoulder; it was awful. And then I dislocated it again two months before I was coming to U of T… My first year on the team was pretty difficult. I didn’t get to play because I had shoulder surgery just after the season.”
In her second year on the team, Williams finally got her opportunity to play. In her third year, she was able to really showcase her talent.
“I ended up playing in the CIS finals, which was awesome, and I had worked really hard all season… I think that was a huge leadership step for me,” she says.
The CIS gold would be the highlight of Williams’s career, but there were still many more memorable wins to come. She stepped into the starting role in her fourth year, helping the team to an OUA championship.
Last year, Williams’s fifth season as a Blue, the team again made it to the CIS finals, which were hosted by the Blues at Varsity Stadium. However, the result wasn’t what they hoped for, as they ended the tournament with a silver medal.
“We had a great season, we came second in Canada, and came first in the OUA, but when you’re that close to winning, it’s really tough to take the loss.”
This year, after a very strong regular season, the team was disappointed again in the post-season, taking home an OUA bronze. Despite this, Williams remained positive: “It’s different, it’s my first bronze, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Moving forward, Williams is planning to stay involved in field hockey, by helping with the Varsity Blues team next year, and trying out for the indoor national team in January.
Although she is leaving the team, Williams has clearly made memories that she will never forget.
“My overall time with the team was just the most amazing experience you could ever ask for. I was extremely lucky and privileged to have the opportunity to be on such a close-knit team, and I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.”
